Mineral-separator.



J. C. LESHER.

MINERAL SEPARATOR.

APPLICAUON FILED JULY 26.1917.

1,281,596. Patented 00t.15,1918.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

1. C. LESHER.

MINERAL SEPARATOR.

APPLICAHON man JULY 26.19x1.

1,281,596. Patented oeufs, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR.

I /Qn BY Il bf-/gg/Z A TTORNE YS.

narran erases `refinarl eserver..

= TOI-IN C.v LESHER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIORNIA.' i

MINERAL-SEPARATOR.

Application leri July 26, 1917. Serial No.'182,8 89.

vices for separating minerals, particularly` precious.. metals, from accompanying sub-l stances, in which a flowing stream of thel material is passed through a shaking sluice box, andis fsubjected to impediments, screening agencies and retaining' devices therein, whereby the separation is effected.

v While my kinvention is applicable to any form of structure or lmachine by which the inaterialis obtained, prepared and delivered to the separator, it is particularly intended for use and is.y effective in that type; of;

mineral saving machines commonly known as dredgers, and.in which a digging elevator excavates and lifts the material, to a screen, usuallyin the formf. of` a rotatingV sifter knownY as a grizzly, which preliminary divests-the material of its coarse components:

such` as rocks, etc., and delivers theremainder to lthe valueAsaving-devices.

I shall, therefore, illustratemy invention in connection .with a dredging machine of l this type. i

Y The object of myinvention. isto effect a thorough. separation -ofjv the precious particles from, the gangue, 'andv tothis,v end my invention. consists inthe .novel separator whichlshallahereinafter fully describe, by

rcferencetothe accompanying drawings, in

, through' the chute 20-into the grizzly, in

which thef'coarse material, rocks, etc., are.

Figure 1 isy a side-elevation of a dredgervv including-my separator with parts broken away. Y v 1 Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe separatorpartly insection, on the line 2 2 of Fig 3.

.Figi 3; is; a sidev elevation of the same partly in section on the/line 3.-,3 [of Fig-52. F ig. 4; isaV cross section on the line 1 -fl of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. V1, the numeralvlis a foundation, supporting the generalframe 2. At one end of the vframev visixpivotally mounted at 3, the elevator 11, comprising the endless'V traveling chain offdigging and ele# vating buckets 5. TheL angle of the elevator.-

is-regulated by a' line 6', dirccted'to a winch 7 .f The endless-chain of buckets 5 is -driven by a belt 8 from ay shaft 9 to which power is led by afbelt 10 fromai drive shaft l1..

In the frame-2'is mounted the rotatable preliminary screening deviceV orV grizzly, comprising an inner member'l2 of agrating type, indicated'by the dotted lines, and an outer member or cylinder-131* lThis device is rotatedv by a gear 14 on'its end, with which meshes a pinion' 15 on a shaft 16 driven by a belt 17 from theshaft '9. 1 f

The grizzlyv device is inclined and is mounted for rotation on rollsV 18'fbymeans of tracks 19. The elevator 5y ldelivers'the excavated ma'terialto the inner grated member 12 of the grizzly, through a chute 20, The inner member 12 delivers to a discharge chute 21. The outer member or cylinder'jl delivers intorthe vhead 'end of theinclined upper sluice box 22, the footof said box deliveringl into thel headend of the lower inclined -sluice box 23. Each ofthese sluicc boxes is suspended at its foot end by links 24, and each is'given a ycombined longitudin'al and vertical Vshake or movement by means of an arm 25 secured toits head end, said arm being secured to an eccentrie26.V rlhe eccentric of the upperbox is driven by a belt 27 from the shaftQ, and the lower ec-. centric is .drivenbyl a belt 28 from the shaft: of-Ithe uppereccentric.y Y 1 29is apump, with suctionO.A The pump deliversiwater: throughv the ypipe' 31 'into the grizzly. 5

digging buckets .5,is elevated and delivered separatedV andrdelivered bythe inner member l2 tothe discharge chute and deposited' on the dump. VThe remaining portion ofthe material is` delivered `from thenoutery member 13 of thegrizzlyzinto the ir'st ysluice box. 22. ln vth-isfbox the: i values arev separated; and may be recovered fromla drawer 22 .of

saidbox" or other cleanup device. Such of` the Nalues as arenot saved in thefirst slui'ce box, are" saved in-thevsecondfbox- 23 :and recoveredffrom adrawer 23 or -rot'her'iclean up' device.

Now,4 referring particularly" tol'F-igs. 2,12# and 4,-'the details of the sluice boxes lmay be specifically described. Both boxes are alike, and the description of one will apply to the other.

retain the line concentrates. Cocoa-matting is usually employed and is found effective, though other material or fabric, such as car# petand the like, may be used.

In the box 22 is fitted a shell comprising side walls 33, and longitudinal foot membersY 34, the side members being secured toi an angle, successive plates being at opposite;

the walls andthe middle member secured by straps to the side members, as shown in F ig. 4. Upon these foot members lies a screen V36. To the side walls 33 of the shell VVaresseeured the baille plates 37. These Vlie above the screen 36 and are secured at each end to the side walls 33 by'the angles 38 as shown in Fig. 2. I f Y rThe baille plates37 traverse the shell at'y angles, as seen clearly in Fig. 2. l .-Each baille plate is notched upwardly from its lower edge, forming a `plurality of openings 39 in each. The openings of successive plates are staggered, that is to say, the openings inone plate areout of line` with those of adjacent plates, asv seen in` Fig. 2. f Y l.

T he effects of this construction may 'be described as follows i-In general, these are a prolonged course for the stream of material, increased rapidity of flo-wV due not only to the inclination ofthe box, but also to the alternate angular disposition of theV baffle plates, tending to a continuous gravity fthe screen and are caught in the fabric mat- The streamV of material entering at the head ofthe box, encountersiirst the leading balllefplate, and is broken up with a tendg ency to distributionv inpassing through the openings inthis plate. however, not an equal one,for the angular disposition fofrthe plate `induces a stronger flowv to one side, and this is repeated `to the other side by the second plate, and so on Yfromside toxside, the sum of said flows,

however, resultingin anv 'average equaldistribution for the whole process.A VThus the e stream isV positivelykepton the moveto theV greatest extent, is ,agitated throughout,

Copies lofths ,patent may becbtained f or ve cents eaclnby addressing* thedniniission v 1 iwashingwmnc. 1 V

This distribution is, y

broken up, reunited, impeded and so affected in general as to result inan assured separation-of the values.

In a machine of the dredger type, sluice boxes, such as "I have described, have a peculiar value, in that in such machines the preliminary preparation of the material to @be separated and its precious particles removedis necessarily rather crude rand incomplete, as-thefelevator excavates and supplies the material in the rough and the grizzly merely separates the' very coarse components, leaving the vremainder in a condition requiring rather strenuous ltreatment to vinsure eective separation* 'of its values. The peculiar movement of the sluiceY box, due to itsV freely swinging 'suspension at one end and the directly connectedeccentric arm at the other end, gives a swirling. vmotion to the stream betweenthe'balileplates, as is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, which motion is also eective in the 'general agita# tion of the-stream. ;;Iclaim:- i l. Aseparator comprisinga" sluice-box; a

value retaining fabric in the 'bottom of the" box; a screen spaced above said fabric; and' a plurality of spaced baille plates above the screen, extending from side torlsideofthe box and diagonally disposedsuccessively at' opposite angles, each plate having a'plurality of openings in its'lower portion.

2. A separator comprising a; sluice-boxgfa value retaining fabric in the bottom of the box; a screen spacedabovesaid' fabric; andv a plurality of spacedbaiile plates 'above the screen, extending from sidejt'o sideAV of the box and diagonally dfisposedsuccessivly at opposite angles, each-"plate having a' plu` rality of openings initsflower?portionfsaid openings in successive plates Abeing out of, line with the openings of the previous plate."

3. A separator comprising an inclined sluice-box; mea-ns freely suspending Ysaidfbox at 'one end, an 'eccentric-driven arm Ysecured to the other end of the box;I a valueretain!V ing fabric in the bottom ofthe` boxfasereen spaced above said fabric Vrandiy a *pluralityv of spaced baille plates above 'thescreenexl two subscribing witnesses; y f Y.

` N *o *LEsHER. 1

Witnesses: v WM. F.BooTH,

signed nyf presence of 

